Rush Limbaugh, RIP.

by Rod Williams - In the early days, I loved Rush Limbaugh. I had a job that required long hours in the car and I listened every day. For the first time I felt like someone was saying what I was thinking. He gave voice to people who were excluded from the conversation. He was unapologetically politically incorrect. And, he was outrageous and funny. He was entertaining and I at times I thought he was brilliant. His love for this country was something he was not ashamed to proclaim and I felt the same way.  He was refreshing.  I felt a kinship with Rush Limbaugh. I was glad he was on the scene.  He reached people who would never read an issue of National Review or read a serious book.  He was converting people who may have been only moderately interested in politics and may have been nominal Democrats out of habit, or may have been Republicans but didn't know why, and turning them into passionate conservatives.  

There were times when I disagreed with Rush. There were times when I tired of him. I found it hard to believe some one could wake up so mad everyday. Sometimes, I just didn't want to be mad. His stick got old. The manufactured outrage got old. The lack of nuance and shallowness of analysis got old. I disagreed with demonizing those who compromised.  Sometimes half a loaf is better than nothing and in politics you never get all you want.  Often instead of appealing to reason, he appealed to emotions.  I tired of the bombastic delivery.  As the years wore on, I also thought he was simply less clever and entertaining. 

Of course by then, the airways were full of other conservative talk show host, some more outrageous than Rush. Rush paved the way for G. Gordon Liddy and Shawn Hannity, and Mark Levin and Glen Beck. Rush might have been the first but he was not unique anymore. It is hard to believe Rush lasted so long. Even popular TV dramas do not last that long. Seinfield was only on TV for ten years and Bonaza was only on 14 years.  Rush developed an undeniable connection with his listeners. 

I did not listen in later years as often as I did the first few years but I still tuned in a couple times a week and caught part of a show.  There were things he said that sometimes made me cringe. However, he was on 15 hours a week for 30 something years. Filling that many hours, one is bound to say some stupid things. I make allowances simply for that reason.  I was disappointed that he was such a Trump loyalist. 

I don't know if Rush deserves the blame (or credit) for Donald Trump, but without Rush energizing conservatives our country would probably be further down the road to socialism and America would be a worse place. I was pleased to see Rush awarded the Metal of Freedom at Trump's last State of the Union address. He earned it.  

With the passing of Rush Limbaugh, I feel like I have lost a relative; a relative who I sometimes disagreed with and at times who I thought was a blowhard but someone who was a good person and believed in the right things and loved his country.  RIP Rush Limbaugh.

Their are many tributes one can find to Rush Limbaugh.  The following is from a liberal commentator on CNN.  I thing this is a fair and balanced tribute.  Click here to view. 

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